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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28623783">Without a King</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitaldreams/pseuds/digitaldreams'>digitaldreams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Digital's Ikesoren Week Drabbles [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, IkeSoren Week, IkeSoren Week 2021, M/M, Prince of Daein AU, except greil actually isn't dead in this au, not beta read we die like greil, prince AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:33:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28623783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitaldreams/pseuds/digitaldreams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The prince of Daein lived only in secrets and shadows, but it was only a matter of time before darkness saw morning light.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ike/Senerio | Soren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Digital's Ikesoren Week Drabbles [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2093163</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>IkeSoren Week 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Without a King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The prince of Daein was seen so scarcely that some believed him to be a myth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rumors were whispered on panicked lips as servants and soldiers alike spoke of the son of the Mad King Ashnard, a frail boy who seemed to thrive in the shadows themselves. Those who had crossed his path had deemed him unsettling at best and terrifying at worst, claiming that the wind itself seemed to pull in around him. He was the ghost of Nevassa, and given how infrequently he was seen alongside his supposed father or the woman assumed to be his mother, little evidence of his existence seemed to be possible to find. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, in Daein Keep, even the shadows had shadows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soren rarely bothered with formalities when it came to greeting others within the palace. He had learned his place long ago, and he moved with a sense of constant urgency that kept others from engaging in small talk. It wasn’t that he was particularly difficult to find; people simply didn’t seem to notice that he was there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was far from surprising for Soren. He had grown up in the arms of his mother, as smothering as she was, and watching Ashnard from afar with detached curiosity and wonder. Soren’s connection to him was complicated, though that was certainly putting it nicely. Ashnard had tossed both him and his mother aside as if they were mere pieces of trash the instant that they were no longer useful to him. Such was the way of Ashnard’s world, and such was the way that Soren’s existence fell to shadow rather than prince. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a long time, this was the way that Soren lived. All he knew was his connection to Almedha, and nothing else seemed to matter. The occupants of Daein Keep pressed on without hesitation, ignoring the shadows that shifted and pretending they knew nothing of the rumors surrounding the potential of Ashnard’s heir. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Ike was different. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gawain was famous across Daein for his strength as a member of the Four Riders, and Ike followed in his footsteps without a moment of hesitation. His power was incredible, and unlike most people of Daein, his heart and mind were both open. The teachings of Gawain and his loving wife, Elena, had rubbed off on both of their children. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ike had been casual in approaching Soren for the first time so many years ago. Soren had been thirteen at the time while Ike was twelve, a few short months younger than the prince who thrived in darkness. Ike pressed a smile on his face and introduced himself, saying that he had heard many things about the prince of Daein. From there, the pieces simply fell into place, and Soren found the one place aside from his mother’s side where he could consider himself safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ike’s loyalty was not to Daein or Ashnard; his blade had been sworn in the name of the forgotten prince at some point in their five years of friendship, and the sword that rested at his hip never allowed its promise to slip through the cracks. Through thick and thin, Ike and Soren remained at one another’s sides, looking out for one another above all else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But even the shadows could suffer defeat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ashnard was ambitious, and his sword was already stained in the blood of the innocent by the time Soren heard of his plans to attack Crimea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soren remained in Daein Keep as the invasion occurred. He sat in silence with Almedha in the room they had shared throughout his entire life. Almedha kept her head lowered, expressing somber regret for the decisions that she had made in years long gone. Soren simply looked out the window, wondering when Ashnard’s visions of grandeur were finally going to catch up to him by tightening the hangman’s knot. Ike’s words echoed in his mind, and Soren frowned to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m here for you. All of us are.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Whispers began to grow louder until their noise was almost suffocating. Soren found himself exasperated, but his irritation soon turned to something far deeper. He found Almedha in a panic, tears threatening to spill over from her eyes. She claimed that they had to leave as soon as possible. The truth of Soren’s bloodline had been dragged into the light when the shadows weren’t paying attention, and they had to run before anyone resolved to act on their hatred. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ike’s loyalty was put to the test on the night that Soren said he was leaving. His companion nodded solemnly before leaving briefly, and when he returned, Mist, Gawain, and Elena were at his side. Soren’s eyes had gone wide in surprise before Ike placed a hand on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Did you really think we would let you go alone?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ike’s kindness brought with it an uneasy alliance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sudden flight from Nevassa had taken the group through Crimea, and Soren found himself beyond grateful that his existence had been kept such a secret. He far preferred the life of a mercenary, wandering from town to town and picking up odd jobs of combat alongside Gawain and Ike. This far from Daein, nobody knew of princely heritages or Daein Riders. They were simply fighters, and they were standing up for what they believed in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was ironic, in a way, how a temporary contract with an understaffed group of mercenaries had led to so much. Their leader was a woman with hair the color of pure rose petals, but her demeanor was far less gentle. The mission had been to defend a town from bandits empowered by Daein’s invasion, but it ended with a girl being uncovered by pure chance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Elincia was her name, and her position was oddly similar to the one that Soren had grown used to his whole life. Ike had been alright to trust her from the outset, and all thoughts of one day returning to Daein were cast away immediately. The temporary alliance became less brief and more permanent with each passing day, and Soren went from being a prince to a tactician, but he didn’t oddly enough mind in the slightest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One day, Soren would be the one to tighten the hangman’s knot around Ashnard’s neck as the downfall of his ambitions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The former prince of Daein had cast aside his heritage and sided with Crimea much to his own surprise. Still, he regretted none of his actions, and as he prepared for the coming final fight, all he could do was smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rumors had whispered of a prince who lived only in the shadows, and now, that prince was set to cause the collapse of a madman. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Me? Writing super vague AUs and being generally experimental with writing style for this prompt? It's more likely than you think! </p><p>I had a thousand and one ideas for how to go about day four of the challenge, but I wound up settling on this AU of sorts for Path of Radiance. In this AU, Almedha raises Soren on her own, and Greil never leaves Daein. So that's nice. </p><p>This chapter has admittedly less of a focus on Ike and Soren than some of the others, but I still really like how it turned out. Plus, drawing comparisons between Soren and Elincia is always fun given how different they are in personality yet similar in situation given this sort of AU. Canon divergence is lots of fun. </p><p>Time for another round of piece name trivia! 'Without a King' is the name of a chapter from Path of Radiance, and I felt it would be fitting considering the fact that this piece ends with Soren saying that he's going to dethrone Ashnard and thus leave Daein without a king. Soren thinks that Ashnard deserves it, and he's definitely right. </p><p>With all of that said, I believe I'm done here. See you all tomorrow for day five! I hope you enjoyed!</p><p>-Digital</p></blockquote></div></div>
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